General Hospital Psychiatry
Volume 20, Issue 6 , Pages 339-344, November 1998

Fluvoxamine for somatoform disorders: an open trial

  • Russell Noyes Jr., M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, USA (Dr. Noyes, Ms. Happel, Dr. Holt, Dr. Kathol, Dr. Amos, and Ms. Sieren)
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress reprints to: Russell Noyes, Jr., M.D., Psychiatry Research, Medical Education Building, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000
  • ,
  • Rachel L. Happel (B.S.N.)

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, USA (Dr. Noyes, Ms. Happel, Dr. Holt, Dr. Kathol, Dr. Amos, and Ms. Sieren)
  • ,
  • Barbara A. Muller, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, USA (Drs. Muller and Kathol)
  • ,
  • Craig S. Holt, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, USA (Dr. Noyes, Ms. Happel, Dr. Holt, Dr. Kathol, Dr. Amos, and Ms. Sieren)
  • ,
  • Roger G. Kathol, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, USA (Dr. Noyes, Ms. Happel, Dr. Holt, Dr. Kathol, Dr. Amos, and Ms. Sieren)
    • Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, USA (Drs. Muller and Kathol)
  • ,
  • Lori R. Sieren (B.S.N.)

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, USA (Dr. Noyes, Ms. Happel, Dr. Holt, Dr. Kathol, Dr. Amos, and Ms. Sieren)
  • ,
  • James J. Amos, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, USA (Dr. Noyes, Ms. Happel, Dr. Holt, Dr. Kathol, Dr. Amos, and Ms. Sieren)

Abstract 

Although the pharmacologic treatment of somatoform disorders has scarcely been investigated, there is reason to believe that antidepressants might be useful. We examined the response of 29 patients with somatoform disorders from a general medicine clinic to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, fluvoxamine. The drug was administered in doses of up to 300 mg daily for 8 weeks. Sixty-one percent of the patients who took medication for at least 2 weeks were at least moderately improved. In addition to antidepressant effects, fluvoxamine had other beneficial effects and was well-tolerated. The benefits of drug therapy were modest but appear to warrant a placebo-controlled trial.

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 This was supported by a grant from Pharmacia and Upjohn Company and Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

PII: S0163-8343(98)00044-9

Refers to erratum:

  • Erratum to “Fluvoxamine for somatoform disorders: an open trial” [General Hospital Psychiatry 20 (1998) 339–344]

    Russell Noyes, Rachel L. Happel, Barbara A. Muller, Craig S. Holt, Roger G. Kathol, Lori R. Sieren, James J. Amos
    General Hospital Psychiatry September 2004 (Vol. 26, Issue 5, Pages 417-418)

General Hospital Psychiatry
Volume 20, Issue 6 , Pages 339-344, November 1998